Category: Restaurant Reviews


Tea and Sympathy for Mother’s Day By Edan Goode

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May 10, 2012

In case you don’t have it marked on your calendar, Sunday, May 13 is Mother’s Day. What to do, what to do for the mom in your life who was in labor for three days straight, wiped many a snotty nose, logged thousands of miles as a taxi service and put a decent meal on the table most nights?  She deserves a medal or at least a lot of sympathy…and tea. Fortunately, there’s a new tea shop in town where you can take Mom, or buy her a nice assortment of teas to make at home or at least tell her to go take some quality time for herself.  Lord knows she deserves it!

Head to the Tea Bar by Teatulia in the trendy Highlands neighborhood at 2900 Zuni Street, in a space cooperatively and creatively shared with other businesses including the Mother ‘hood and Green Garage.   The Bar is run by Denver native Linda Appel Lipsius.  While their website  is still “brewing”, you can visit the tea company’s website for more information.

First, a little about the tea itself. Teatulia is a Denver-based company whose story involves a family of entrepreneurs and one tea garden in northern Bangladesh.  The family of Dr. Kazi Ahmed approaches their business with the community and environment in mind. The teas are cultivated without the use of pesticides, machinery or unnatural irrigation. The garden is a cooperative open to the workers in neighboring villages. They have also planted hundreds of indigenous herbal shade trees, restoring the ecological balance to a formerly arid land.  Good stuff.

Teatulia Tea Bar is a light, slightly funky space where one can linger over a hot or iced drink, pastries, salads, sandwiches and cheese plates.  Drink options include a Pot of Tea which comes with tea and cookies for two, a variety of coffee drinks and interesting tea concoctions like the Iced Peppermint Herbal Infusion with Hibiscus and Mint Leaves.  My favorite was the Lemongrass Herbal Infusion tea with Strawberry and Muddled Basil mixed with sparkling water. It was the color of summertime, a glorious pinkish red and delicious.

You can also buy Teatulia’s teas to make at home. I’ve tried four of the Teatulia bag teas: Neem Nectar Tea (lovely), White Tea (with hints of peach), Ginger (slightly peppery) and Lemongrass (very clean-tasting). All were good hot but with the warm weather we’ve been having, I tried them all iced. Each tea bag is intended to make 2 cups which I love because I’m the kind of thrifty person who makes two cups off of each tea bag anyway so now I don’t have to feel weird about it.  Experiment with how long you steep the teas to see what you like best. I steeped them longer when I was making them iced to account for dilution from the melting ice.

Relax, take a load off, partake of the free Wi-Fi. It’s all good and a great place to treat mom. Now, don’t forget Mother’s Day or you’re so gonna get it!

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“Pop!” goes a restaurant!

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May 8, 2012

On a recent  April evening in LoDo, I was pelted with raindrops and nearly mowed down by Rockies fans fleeing a serious rain delay.  I
was happy to duck into the lobby of the Ice House building at 1801 Wynkoop and even happier to enter the new Studio F space and be handed a glass of Rose.  As I dripped dry, I looked around at the exposed brick/industrial-chic space with a large, professional-quality kitchen complete with large-screen TV above the demonstration table to show diners and cooking-class attendees exactly what’s going on.  On this night, I was one of the lucky guests attending the highly-anticipated inaugural pop-up dinner of James Mazzio’s Studio F.

Mazzio was a gracious host, pointing out the workspace that would be any chef’s dream (I know my home-cooking self was in awe of the large work and cook surfaces).  He also pointed out the Red Star Deli, at the entry way to Studio F, Mazzio’s new stop for a sandwich for all of the worker bees downtown.  Mazzio then introduced me to the star of the evening, Chef Charles Dale, a gentle and polite man whose calm demeanor has surely been beneficial in the many restaurants he has opened up in his 30 years in the business.

Although Dale was at Studio F representing his latest restaurant, Terra at Encantado in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this marked a return trip to Colorado where Dale had opened three award-winning restaurants in Aspen years ago.  Dale is a former Food & Wine Magazine Best New Chef in America winner. I can see why.  He mixes his classical French training with a passion for fresh and sustainable cuisine. He believes in, and practices what he calls “flavor management”, often focusing on just three main ingredients for a dish.  I truly appreciated this real, unpretentious approach.  One of my pet peeves is when a chef creates something so complex and goes so far out of the way to make it unusual that it falls flat. I want to be able to taste each element of a dish that a chef has created.  That was absolutely the case with every course of the wonderful meal we had.

Chef Charles Dale of Terra restaurant in Santa Fe. Photo courtesy Bing photos.

One of the highlights came in the very first bite of the first course, Peppadew Rellenos with Goat Cheese Masa.  Looking just like a cherry tomato, the stuffed and lightly battered peppadew chili was the perfect, poppable appetizer.  My table-mates and I raved over this little tidbit, knowing we were off to a good start. Another highlight was the Asparagus Soup, more of a puree thankfully than a creamy glop, the soup was ladled over flakes of House-smoked Ruby Trout and Terra Chipotle Caviar. See? Three perfectly-chosen ingredients that made for flavors and textures that worked in tandem.  I also loved the Scallop and Pork Belly with Edamame and Celery Root Puree with a Sauternes Reduction. Again, the blend was delicious but I could have done with a plate of just the pork belly. It was sinful.

Each dish was paired with a wine from Sutcliffe Vineyards in Cortez, accompanied by their master, John Sutcliffe who answered our table’s many questions about the process of wine-making, the impact global warming may or may not be having and the like. His English accent and playboy charm added to the experience.  He did an excellent job of pairing exactly the right wine with every course from the Sutcliffe Rose 2010 with the Peppadew Relleno to the Sutcliffe Riesling “Nectar” 2011 with the butterscotch custard for dessert.

By the end of the evening, not only were we all satiated (and feeling no pain), we had all enjoyed the unique experience of going out for dinner but having made new acquaintances with our fellow diners, the chef and the host. It’s a fun way to truly enjoy a meal.

Except for taking a road trip to experience Chef Dale’s cooking yourself (which I highly encourage), there will be ample opportunities to experience this special night out. Hurry to reserve your spot May 10-12 with Colorado’s own Jenna Johansen for a tour of international cuisines celebrating her debut on Bravo’s Around the World in 80 Plates.  The following week, May 18-26, get a little wacky with another Colorado chef, Ian Kleinman who believes food should be fun and has the concoctions to prove it.

Sign up for Studio F’s newsletter to keep apprised of their upcoming events.

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Did I walk into the wrong place?

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April 24, 2012

Hanson’s Grill & Tavern is a little misleading. If you were to walk in for a beer, you’d be surprised to see the nicer dining room serving steak and pasta around the corner. Conversely, if you made reservations to take your husband there for a fancy birthday dinner, as I did (on a recommendation) and walked into the bar area, you’d be a little concerned.

The bar is the kind of neighborhood hangout where everyone knows your name.   It almost seemed silly to say “um, we have reservations for dinner”, yet we did and our perky, ripped-t-shirt clad hostess took us around the corner to a nice dining room caught in a 1980’s time warp.

The menu is ridiculously large yet nearly everything sounded really good. There are sixteen sandwich options and that doesn’t even cover the hamburgers…or pasta section…or wraps…or Mexican food!  It’s unreal.

We decided to skip the appetizers once we saw the sizes of them as they passed us on the way to neighboring tables. The Mile High Nachos, for example, were the size of a roast chicken, no kidding, with seasoned beef or chicken, refries, cheese, Mexican salad, sour cream and guacamole, $10. The appetizers are meals unto themselves.

We did partake of the French Onion Soup, $4-6 which was as it should be, beefy, oniony and really difficult to eat thanks to having to break through a layer of cheese and toast while not causing a splashy mess.  The house salad was a good foil to the soup with lots of color and a fluffy pile of mixed greens.

Everything is better topped with onion rings, especially this steak.

Although many things on the plentiful menu sounded really tempting like the BBQ Meat  Loaf Sandwich,  Classic Cheeseburger and Seafood Scampi, we went for the big guns – the Center Cut Top Sirloin ($19) and BBQ Ribs (half-rack $13, full-rack $19).  The Ribeye was maybe one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. The 12oz piece was marinated in roasted garlic and spices then grilled, served with a mound of creamy mashed potatoes (a sub for the baked potato that night), sautéed green beans with mushrooms and topped with three beer-battered onion rings that could have been bracelets.  The birthday boy went all out and ordered the full rack of BBQ Ribs and managed to eat only two, what with their meatiness and the French Onion Soup weighing him down.

We simply had to share a dessert despite being stuffed to the gills. The giant Deep Dish Brownie Sunday ($6) had a really chocolaty, gooey brownie topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup – and a candle.

We walked off the heavy meal taking advantage of Hanson’s position at one end of the charming and Old South Pearl Street shopping

Dessert came just as night fell and the lighting dimmed to a romantic glow.

district. Hanson’s Grill and Tavern is located at 1301 S. Pearl St., open Monday – Saturday from 11am and Sunday from 10:30 for brunch. 303-744-1052.

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Go west, young family! Devil’s Thumb Ranch revisited.

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March 29, 2012

Sunset at Devil's Thumb Ranch. All photos courtesy Courtney Drake-McDonough.

We woke up in the city but went to sleep in the old west. Well, almost. It was more like an idyllic vision of the old west –sprawling, pastoral, rustic, elegant and a whole lot of fun – but with all the modern conveniences.

This was our third stay at the 6,000-acre Devil’s Thumb Ranch. The first time was three years ago for a romantic anniversary getaway. The second time was last summer with the whole family to ride horses, hike, swim and experience scenery like the kids had never seen before – a mix of ranch, meadow and mountain. The first two times, we stayed in the main lodge, with its rustic yet plush décor.  This time, we stayed in a little cabin in the woods, one of 16.  The cabins, while lovely, are more

Our little cabin in the woods.

befitting their log walls and roof than the lodge. They are a little on the rough side but with plenty of comfort and all of the necessities – feather beds with handmade quilts, a kitchen, a living room and spacious bathroom.

Following the example of all other buildings at Devil’s Thumb Ranch, the cabins are built as green as possible with geothermal heat, courtesy of heated flooring not lost on bare feet on crisp, cool mornings.

By staying in the cabins, you can choose to cook your own meals. However, if your idea of a vacation getaway means getting as far away from cooking as possible, you are in luck. There are a variety of restaurant options for the whole family. Heck’s Tavern is casual, perfect for families, with kids’ menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Even the up-scale Ranch House Restaurant has a kid’s menu or half portions of adult entrees for kids with sophisticated palates. Stop into Hallowed Grounds Coffee House for sandwiches or a smoothie before heading out on a hike. Or just get a bite poolside from Heck’s.  All meals are prepared from scratch, using natural and local ingredients.

Our daughter at Wrangler Camp, learning to tend her horse before going on a ride.

On this trip, our daughter attended the Wrangler Camp, held in multiple sessions throughout the summer. Along with just six other kids, she learned horse-riding and horse-care skills including a little stint doing rodeo tricks. After nose-to-tail guided trail rides, the afternoons of Wrangler Camp were spent fly-fishing, swimming, taking aim with archery and searching on a scavenger hunt.

During those action-packed days, the rest of the family was free to take long hikes, enjoy the spa, game room and build an impromptu mini-log cabin. We also had fun just walking around the property, enjoying amazing views and seeing the various buildings including the Broad Axe Barn, Spa and the new Yager House, which houses family reunions, cooking classes, weddings and other special events. Up at the Stables, you can see horses, goats, chickens, rabbits, a calf that walks around like a dog, with the dogs and Stormy, the resident black cat.

At night, guests gravitate to Heck’s patio to make s’mores around the campfire, sharing stories, laughs and suggestions for hiking and biking trails – all with strangers. It’s a good lesson for kids to see that you can find things in common with people you don’t even know, who are there from other states and even countries.

Lodging rates vary at Devil’s Thumb, depending on the season and type of lodging you are looking for but there’s always some sort of

Imagine swimming with this view!

great deal going on. The cabins are more expensive than the Lodge rooms but then again you have a little cabin all to yourself and can save money by cooking your own food.  Sign up on their website (www.devilsthumbranch.com) to receive notification of lodging deals year-round.  Although the mid-week gets you the lowest rates, stick around for the weekend for the Cowpoke Camp. Giving kids and parents time together and time apart, the Camp lets kids ages 5 to 12 do fun western-themed activities like learning to lasso, build a compass, go fishing, taking a kiddie cooking class and more.

Devil’s Thumb Ranch has some amazing things planned for this spring and summer. This May, they’ll have a Mother/Daughter spa package. In June, July and August, there’s the Summer Wrangler Camps for kids 12 and up that our daughter attended.  For adults who like to cook and eat, there is a series of themed Chef Demonstrations followed by multi-course dinner with wine pairings. For adults who like to relax and be pampered, their extensive spa with its own patio area, private hot tub and spa menu brought to you as you luxuriate is enough to put you over the edge of bliss (and who couldn’t use a little of that?!)

For those who want to rough it a little more, go horseback-riding, take riding lessons, let the kids have a pony ride, go on a family wagon ride or get really serious and go on a cattle drive or zip-lining! I’m telling you, the folks at Devil’s Thumb Ranch are brilliant! There is literally something for every interest, taste and skill-level and it’s all beautiful.

The horses heading to the pasture to graze.

By the way, in case you are wondering about the name, Devil’s Thumb, according to local lore, after the warring Ute and Arapahoe tribes settled their differences in the Ranch Creek Valley area, they buried the Devil but left his thumb exposed to remind them of the evils of war. That “thumb” is an outcropping of rock on the Continental Divide visible from the Ranch. A Colorado couple and parents of two children, Bob and Susan Fanch, are the owners of Devil’s Thumb Ranch, intent on making the very sustainable property a getaway for everyone, from wedding parties to business groups to families. It’s a peaceful, kick-in-the-pants-fun place only about an hour and a half from Denver, making it a very doable escape.

Note: A version of this article originally ran on ColoradoParent.com in 2011.

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Good thinking, Comedy Works!

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March 21, 2012

When most people think of comedy clubs, they think of dark, smoky joints and comedians on stage telling jokes for all they’re worth.  While some of that still takes place, minus the smoke, thankfully, Comedy Works is working hard to make sure they are more things to more people.

Comedy Works has been an institution in Colorado for 30 years, famous for the top-notch local and national comedians it draws.  Not content to rest on its Larimer Square location laurels, owner Wendy Curtis opened Comedy Works South at the Landmark in Greenwood Village a few years ago allowing for more seating space, a restaurant and lounge and special event rooms.

Things were going great with both locations and then the staff at Comedy Works got the brilliant idea to offer comedy shows fit for the 18+ crowd, music-lovers and families – yes, kids in a comedy club!

“People want good, clean family entertainment,” says Amy Howard, director of Special Programming. “When we had comedians come in who were family-friendly, it was a big success.” So they set out to find ways to bring in more parents and kids. Here are some upcoming examples of how Comedy Works South at Landmark is broadening its entertainment horizons:

Hazel Miller and her fabulous band will play at Comedy Works April 22.

R&B Brunch featuring Hazel Miller (April 22). While eating a delicious buffet brunch, Colorado’s own Hazel Miller and her band create the feeling that you’re part of a lucky gathering of friends sitting around in her living room for an impromptu music jam.

Participants at the Ultimate Family Gameshow Challenge. Photo courtesy Comedy Works.

Ultimate Family Game Show Challenge (April 29) 

gets families (sometimes multiple generations) on stage, competing at games based on real TV game shows. Family-friendly prizes have included tickets to the Downtown Aquarium, indoor skydiving and more.

Gospel Brunch (Mother’s Day, May 13) features the Colorado Ambassadors of Gospel along with a southern-style brunch. 

Howard has other family-friendly events planned throughout the year.  That’s great because more than just the comedy crowd should get to see the beautiful Landmark location. While the buffet line traffic flow and seating is crowded during brunches, the room itself is lovely. The elegant, shimmery brown walls of the performance stage catch the light beautifully.  The dangly beaded two-story chandelier in the entry way draws the eye from Lila B., the downstairs lounge up to Lucy, the posh upstairs dining room with a grand mosaic fireplace and white leather chairs with black buttons down the reminiscent of  sexy 1940’s pencil skirts.

The restaurant, Lucy, upstairs at The Comedy Works will start serving breakfast and lunch in addition to dinner starting May 1. Photo courtesy Comedy Works.

Lucy currently serves dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5pm but will open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week, starting May 1.  They will be offering a full breakfast menu with omelets, pancakes, eggs prepared a variety of ways and more. Lunch will feature sandwiches, burgers, salads and other lunchtime favorites. The dinner menu offers seafood and meat entrees, salads, pasta dishes and sandwiches.

Comedy clubs for good, clean family fun? That’s something to stand up for.

Comedy Works South at the Landmark: 5345 Landmark Pl., Greenwood Village. 720-274-6800.

Comedy Works at Larimer Square: 1226 15th St., Denver. 303-595-3637. www.ComedyWorks.com.

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Long Live Pisco Sour

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February 22, 2012

I drive down Colfax a lot and had noticed the businesses going in and out of the spot at 8501 E. Colfax Ave.  It’s large, flashy sign out front would advertise the latest incarnation of this place that is one of those Bermuda Triangle sites that can’t seem to maintain it’s identity. Then I noticed that a restaurant called Pisco Sour had installed itself promising live entertainment and Peruvian food.  Since I believe the more ethnic restaurants the better, I hoped for it’s success.  Judging by our dining experience there recently, this restaurant may actually stick.

At first glance, with the large sign, and less than chic exterior, I figured Pisco Sour could either be a total dive or a hidden treasure. Turns out, it’s the latter.

The interior is caught in a 1950’s time warp which one could either find repelling or cool. Again, I’ll opt for the latter. Upon entering, the bar area with dining tables is to your left.  Go to the right for more dining tables, the dance floor and lounge area where people hold court, checking out the crowd.  Multiple TV’s and their reflections in mirrors are very distracting. I wish they were limited to the bar area.

Almost as soon as we were seated, we were given a tiny dish of Cancha Serrana, toasted corn kernels. They were delicious and glossy and the perfect thing to munch while reading the extensive menu.  Our meal went from fantastic to very good to not worth it, with every course. (Excuse the poor lighting on these photos. The place is dim.)

Appetizer: Choros a la Chalaca

For an appetizer, we chose Choros a la Chalaca, fresh mussels topped with a spicy salsa fresca of diced tomato, onion, corn and coriander cured in lemon juice ($5.99).  I was transported to a tropical beach in the heat of summer, being refreshed by these tasty beauties, oblivious to the wet sands clinging to me.  Divine!

We ordered Arroz Con Pollo ($10.99), chicken and rice cooked in cilantro sauce with salad and Frejol Con Seco ($10.99), Peruvian beans served with lamb stew and white rice. Both were really good and huge portions. We made at least one lunch out of each of the leftovers.  The cilantro sauce on the Arroz Con Pollo was absorbed

Arroz Con Pollo

into the rice and chicken, not ladled on, which meant a fresh taste to every bite. An overabundance of slightly pickled onion lay on top.  The lamb stew in the Frejol Con Seco was tender and easily shredded. The beige beans seemed to have a slight hint of vinegar which made them interesting and a good foil to the meat.  The accompanying salad was crispy and good with a variety of mixed greens.

Other options included combinations like the Bisteck a lo Pobre ($9.99) with steak, fried plantains, two fried eggs topped with onion and tomato, served with rice. Or the Supreme Combo ($15.29), a quarter of a Peruvian rotisserie chicken, one steak, one grilled veal heart kabob and one pork chop served with salad and fries! That’s a heck of a lot of protein on one plate.

Frejol Con Seco

The kids’ menu made us chuckle. The two items, both for $4.79 are chicken fingers and fries or Salchipapa which sounds exciting but is actually “sliced hotdog and fries”.  Skip that and let the kids share your food. They’ll be the better for it.

We were very pleased with our meal at this point and decided to go for dessert. We ordered the chocolate pie which I swear I’ve seen in the frozen dessert section of the grocery story and the flan which looked homemade but was lacking. Thankfully dessert was dirt cheap so we weren’t out much.  It was a disappointing end to a wonderful meal.

Pisco Sour refers to the drink of Peru, a mix of Pisco brandy, sugar and lemon.  Did I try a Pisco Sour in the restaurant called Pisco Sour? No, I’m sad to say I didn’t.  Next time. And next time I’ll also go with a larger group so we can try a wider variety of dishes or maybe try lunch or the weekend breakfast buffet. The food is intriguing and totally worth having to look at dated décor and TV after TV after TV.

Pisco Sour Restaurant and Lounge, 8501 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303-322-7777.

 

 

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The neighborhood restaurant worth driving across town for – A guest post

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February 21, 2012

Here’s a guest post from Edan Goode of the E.A.T. (Everyone Around the Table) blog.  Is there a little hole-in-the-wall treasure of a restaurant near you? If so, I’d love to hear about it and will post your answers!

Often times, the best restaurants are the ones that are the most unassuming. I love finding a little treasure of a restaurant with a smallsign, few tables and a location in a storefront that’s usually tucked into a strip mall. Maybe places like this just try harder to be good because they have to. Or maybe it just amuses them to be successful without paying exorbitant rent or spending a lot for fancy décor and slick uniforms.  Whatever it is, I’m always glad to discover them.

It’s with some trepidation that I share the secret of a little treasure of an Asian restaurant in East Denver, lest they become so successful, they no longer recognize me when I call or come in (they are as loyal to their neighbors as their neighbors are to them!).

But alas, in the name of helping people find really great food, I’ll spill my little secret…it’s called Sweet Rice Café. There, secret’s out. Now everyone can go to this tiny place in the Mayfair neighborhood, complete with its basic sign, one table that’s outside(!), and its unassuming location. Yup, fits my profile of “restaurant treasure” perfectly!

For the rest of the review, head on over to Edan’s blog where you’ll find other family-friendly foodie news and reviews:
http://colorado.parenthood.com/eat_blog.php.

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Goodness in a bowl – A guest blog

Filed under: Family, Restaurant Reviews — 2 Comments
January 10, 2012

Here is a guest blog restaurant review by Edan Goode, author of the popular E.A.T. (Everyone Around the Table) blog for Colorado Parent magazine. Read more of Edan’s blogs on feeding the family at http://colorado.parenthood.com/eat_blog.php.

Rocky Mountain Chili Bowl
7350 E. 35th Ave., Ste. 130 (just east of Quebec)
303-322-3009

I am the complete opposite of those who don’t want any of their food touching. I LOVE to have my food touching. You could say I’m very touchy-eaty that way.  I enjoy having a bit of this with a bit of that to see how they combine. So imagine the joy I felt when I first went to the Rocky Mountain Chili Bowl in Stapleton.

I had my choice of ingredients piled high in a bowl, ladled with green chili. I could mix, stir and mash to my heart’s content getting something yummy in every bite! My favorite is the RMCB Fajita Bowl ($7.55) with white lime rice, fajita veggies, chicken, beef or park carnitas, smothered in pork or vegetarian green chili, topped with sour cream, guac, cheese and jalapenos! I love the different textures, colors and sensations.

My family has also tried the RMCB Original Bowl ($5.55) with garlic skin-on mashed potatoes forming the base, topped with black or pinto beans, smothered in chili and topped with cheese and jalapenos. Other signature bowls are based around tamales, a hot dog or hamburger or even cheese fries. But you can also make your own, choosing a base, veggies, meat and toppings.

My husband went on a Breakfast Burrito ($2.50) binge, having one every day for four days. A self-proclaimed breakfast burrito aficionado, he declared them the best ever. He especially loved the crispy potatoes inside.

Rocky Mountain Chili Bowl is good to kids with the Breakfast Bowl, Mac ‘n Cheese Bowl, Rice and Bean Bowl and our favorite, the Nacho Bowl. A simple bowl of yumminess, it’s just corn tortilla chips, beans, chili and cheese yet it makes my children so very, very happy.  All kid meals are $4.25 and come with a juice pouch and a sweet treat.

Speaking of sweet treats, the cookies are good  and while tasty and spicy, the brownies are dry. If that’s the only negative we found in our multiple experiences there, then I can consider the bowl the real treat.

If Rocky Mountain Chili Bowl sounds familiar, you might have seen their food truck at one of the Farmer’s Markets. I’m glad the family owned and run restaurant has found a place to settle.

The decor is all about snowboarding with a slick, cool-dude vibe.  Even if that’s not your thing, it’s a casual, comfortable place to sit a spell (or take it to go) and really get in “touch” with a good meal.


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Rolling Out The Rock

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December 20, 2011

A new restaurant has come to town and it’s loud! With floor-to-ceiling hard surfaces, every sound is magnified at The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits, which made its Colorado debut at Belmar in Lakewood.  The premise behind The Rock is to blend a love of rock ‘n roll with good food and drink.  That explains the gritty, heavy, brick and iron atmosphere with rock ‘n roll artwork everywhere.  It was all I could do not to break out into an air guitar solo as soon as I walked in.

The Rock is a place for some serious cocktails.  They have signature mega-drinks like the “Bucket”, served in an actual sand pail complete with shovel or the Lava Lamp that includes a Jell-o shooter “lava” float!  I stuck with one of The Rock’s own microbrews which was very good.

To start our meal, we tried Rocks Wings. Although plump and meaty, they had an odd doughy-ness and sweetness that were disappointing.  In a welcome contrast, both the Garden Salad with its variety of veggies and the Caesar with oven-baked croutons were fresh and crispy with dressings that didn’t overwhelm.

The Rock’s mainstay, pizza, does the place proud. The pepperoni-lovers at our table loved the “Classic Rock”.  We fell for “Flirtin’ with Disaster” with hot Italian sausage, Andouille sausage and caramelized onions. The Rock’s pizza crust is delicious, crispy and chewy with the right amount of tug.

The Rock’s pasta offerings were a mixed bag.  Although a work of art, the colorful ravioli in a pesto cream sauce in “Elvis Sighting” was lackluster.  The “White Room” Alfredo was typical-tasting but very creamy.  We couldn’t get enough of the “Can’t Get Enough”.  Deceptively simple, it was a creamy red sauce with chili flakes, ground hot sausage and meatballs on fat fettuccine noodles.  The combination was seriously one of the most delicious dishes I’ve had!

Prices hover between $9 and $12 for most entrees.  Kids’ meals range from $2.49-$4.49 including a drink. There’s a good variety for them including salad which I’m so glad to see on a kids’ menu. There are also several variations of pasta, a peanut butter and jelly pizza, chicken and burger.

Give The Rock Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits a try for the food, the atmosphere, the conversations it will start about which Rolling Stones album was best and because your child can pitch a fit and blend right in.  Rock on! The Rock, Wood Fired Pizza & Spirits, 7399 W. Alaska Drive, Lakewood, CO. Open daily from 11:30am – midnight.  303-454-3282. http://therockwfp.com/.

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Beaver Creek and the Beaver Creek Lodge By T. Ravlin Lyte

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October 19, 2011

It wasn’t until I was riding back, high atop the ground, in the chair lift, that I realized just what a charming village Beaver Creek really is.

The view from the chair lift descending into Beaver Creek Village

I had already made my way throughout the Village going into little shops, enjoying great meals at the restaurants and looking at art during the Arts Festival so I knew it was a great place. But there, gliding down into it, the view was almost unreal, like a Currier and Ives painting with steep rooftops and winding paths.  As I slipped off the chair and stepped not-so-gracefully off the platform, I was so glad to be spending a long weekend in Beaver Creek and especially glad to be staying at the Beaver Creek Lodge.

Beaver Creek is just a short drive west of Vail.  It’s easy to make your way around the town of Beaver Creek and there’s something for every taste and budget including fast food and an amazing Wal-Mart, a City Market and fun restaurants like the Route 6 Café we hit on our way out-of-town (with plate-sized cinnamon rolls and pancakes).  It’s primarily Beaver Creek Village that you’re after though. Just head up the hill toward Beaver Creek Mountain and you’ll find it.

Welcoming guard gates and friendly guards allow you to enter the Village (and likely keep the riff-raff out). Meandering roads lead past hotels, a large golf course, condominiums, chair lifts that go right over the street, the popular Vilar Performing Arts Center and the Beaver Creek Lodge.

The dramatic lobby of the Beaver Creek Lodge

A multi-floor sculpture of climbers hangs over the Grand Bohemian Gallery

Take one step in the door and you know you’re not in your average hotel.  Immediately, you are struck by artwork, sculpture, ceramics and even jewelry on display and for sale.  Beaver Creek Lodge is part of the Kessler Collection, a series of luxury hotels that are all decorated with artwork from around the world.  The art adorns the hallways, each guest suite and is the focus of The Grand Bohemian Gallery in the center of the Lodge. My children  loved the sculpture of climbers that spanned several floors, hanging from the ceiling and also climbing the walls. It was amazing.

A King room in Beaver Creek Lodge

The guest suites at Beaver Creek Lodge were a treat – at once luxurious but also comforting and as appropriate for a romantic getaway as time with the kids. Our room had a master bedroom with a fold-out coach in the main living area for the kids. Both rooms had their own TV. The living area also had a small dining table and kitchenette with microwave.

We enjoyed breakfast and dinner at Rocks Modern Grill the incredibly innovative (without being weird and pretentious) restaurant in

Sous Chef Chad Barbier meticulously plates a dish

the Lodge. At the helm is Chef Mike Spalla with his trusty sous chef, Chad Barbier.  Both of these men have such a love and passion for what they do, treating each individual’s plate as a work of art. To them, everything must be fresh, local, creative and delicious. During the summer, they even have their own little herb garden outside of the dining room where they routinely go to pick a little of this and a little of that to enhance a dish.  Trust in their abilities and knowledge and you’ll enjoy everything you order.  Their cooking is reason enough to stay at Beaver Creek Lodge, no kidding.  There is a reasonable and fun kids menu.  We ate out only for lunch but found a good variety of casual places throughout the Village.

Spots like this in the Village are a favorite for families in the warm weather.

The pedestrian Village has a lot to offer from something as simple as letting the kids splash in the outdoor fountains to riding the ski lift or gondola, ice skating, numerous festivals, horseback riding, concerts, and of course skiing. Horseback riding with Beaver Creek Stables takes you through areas dense with aspen trees and fern that suddenly open up to reveal views from one mountain top to another. It was a great experience, even for me, whose last time on a horse was in fifth grade when I fainted and fell off out of fear!

Horseback riding through aspen trees with Beaver Creek Stables

Beaver Creek and the Beaver Creek Lodge manage to somehow blend being fancy with being totally approachable.  Whether you’re making plans for a break this winter or anytime year-round, there is something fun, exhilarating or relaxing to do.

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